Deflector



United States Patent 3,133,321 DEFLECTGR Willard D. Hine, 56 Winthrop Ava, Albany, N.Y. Filed Jan. 17, 1962, Ser. No. 166,891 6 Claims. (Cl. 20-1) This invention relates to a deflector for use on a building to discourage pigeons, starlings and other birds from roosting or alighting thereon.

An object of this invention is to provide a deflector comprising an assembly of members that may be permanently secured to either flat or sloped surfaces.

Another object of this invention is to provide a deflector that will not injure or harm pigeons, starlings or other birds.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a deflector that is simple in construction, economical to manufacture, and simple and efiicient in its use.

These and other objects of the invention should be appreciated from the detail specifications taken in conjunction with the drawings, in which like reference numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the deflector secured to a building having a 45 slope;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of both the post and wedge taken along the line 22, FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top view of the strip;

FIG. 4 is an end elevational view of the strip;

F IG. 5 is a side elevational view of the wedge;

FIG. 6 is a view of the post.

In FIG. 1 reference numeral 1 generally refers to the assembled deflector of this invention. The deflector is depicted as secured to the roof of the building having a 45 slope.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention the flexible strip 3 is made of suitable plastic material. Dimensionally, strip 3 is two inches wide and fifty inches long.

Beginning one inch from each end of the strip 3 are lines lateral perforations 5 through the thickness of the strip 3 to allow the strip 3 to be cleanly severed along the line of the perforations 5 for purposes hereinafter to be described. Further lines of lateral perforations 5 are longitudinally formed with strip 3 at six inch intervals in order that the strip may be severed along one of its lines of lateral perforations so that the length of the strip may be shortened when required.

Spaced at two inch intervals longitudinally along the center line of strip 3 and formed slightly therein and therewith are post markers 7 having 90 markers 9 similarly slightly formed therein and therewith.

Applied to the bottom part of strip 3 is a suitable sticking substance, unaflected by the elements of nature, and over which is applied a removable paper backing 11.

The post preferably is round of three-eights inch diameter and three inches in length. The top portion 15 of post 13 is hemispherically configured thereby obviating any possibility of harming or otherwise injuring the birds.

From the bottom of the post 13 and extending upwardly a short distance are 90 markers 17 formed inwardly of the lateral periphery of the post 13.

Applied to the bottom of each post 13 is the same sticking substance applied to the bottom part of strip 3. Over the sticking substance is applied a removable paper backing 19.

Wedge 21 is round of three-eighths inch diameter with the bottom portion of the wedge formed at a 45 angle. Formed inwardly from the lateral periphery of wedge 21 are 90 markers 23. Applied to the bottom of wedge 21 is a suitable sticking substance, unaffected by the elements of nature, and over which is applied a removable paper backing 25.

In applying the deflector assembly to a flat surface the first step would be to determine the width and length of the surface area to be protected from the birds. The paper backing 11 is removed and the strip 3 is pressed into binding engagement with the surface to which the strip is applied. It should be noted that since the perforations 5 extend through the thickness of strip 3, an evacuation of any air that otherwise might be trapped between the surface and the bottom of strip 3 is accomplished.

If the width of the surface area to be protected requires more than one strip 3, the second and consecutive even numbered would be severed at the line of either one of the perforations adjacent the ends of these strips.

The removed one inch end portions adjacent one of the ends of the even numbered strips are aligned with the retained end portions of the odd numbered strips to effect an arrangement of posts of the even numbered strips alternating between the posts of the odd numbered strips. In this manner maximum effective coverage is obtained while at the same time obviating the formation of a nonprotective area of the posts, which non-protective area the birds would find'agreeable for purposes of alightment.

After the strips 3 have been arranged and secured to the flat surface, the paper backings 19 are removed from the posts 3 and posts 3 are pressed against the post markers '7 to secure posts 3 with these markers 7.

In the application of the deflector to sloped surfaces, the initial evaluation of the number of strips 3 to be secured to the particular surface area must first be made. Then the required number of strips are prepared, arranged and secured to the particular surface area as was done with respect to the fiat surface area heretofore described.

In the situation of the application of one or more strips to a surface area which length-wise is sloped, the application of the wedges 21 and posts 13 to the strips 3 is similar to that shown in FIG. 1.

If the slope line of the surface is coincidental with respect to the longitudinal axes of the strips 3, the application of the wedges 21 and post 13 to the strips 3 are similar to that shown in FIG. 1.

It should be appreciated that the wedges 21 shown and described heretofore for application to 45 slope surfaces were for purposes of the example only. It is within the scope and claim of this invention to utilize wedges for application to sloped surfaces of diflerent angles, for example, 20, 30, 40, 50, and 60. In each case all that is required for the structural configuration of the wedges in order to render them useable with surface slopes of different angles is to make the acute angle formed by the bottom portion of the wedges and the horizontal the same as the acute angle of the surface slope with respect to the horizontal. In other words, the acute angle between the longitudinal axis of the wedges and the lower surface of the wedges is complementary with the acute I angle between the strips and the horizontal.

The utility of the markers 9 and 23 is appreciated by the necessity that the arranged and secured posts 13 by centered on their particular strips 3 and the longitudinal axes of the posts 3 will be coincidental with the plumb line of the building to whose surfaces the deflectors are applied.

The 90 markers 9 allow all of the wedges 21 to be secured to the strips 3 at the same relative position thereon. Along with the post markers 7, the 90 markers 9 allow each of the wedges to be centered upon their strips 3.

After wedges are positioned on and secured with the strips, the posts may then be positioned on the top portions of the wedges and secured therewith.

It should be appreciated that the fact that the Wedges a and posts, made of suitable plastic material, cooperate in their assembly with the strips to allow the longitudinal axes of the posts to be coincidental with the plumb line of the building is of significance because sufficient angular deviation of the longitudinal axes of the posts from the plumb line of the building allows and develops the structural factor of the upstanding posts not functioning to prevent the birds from alighting in the protected area, but functioning as a means by which the birds may roost.

When the situation arises for the application of one or more strips to a surface area which width-wise is sloped, the significance and value of the 90 markers 9 and 23 is especially brought to attention as an indexing means for purposes of arranging and securing the wedges with the strips in order that the posts secured with the wedges will be upstanding with their longitudinal axes coincidental with the plumb line of the building.

It should be further appreciated that the strip 3-is made flexible in order to provide securement with the surface to which it is applied while at the same time accommodating and relieving by flexibility the structural deviations that are in the surfaces.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A bird deflector adapted to be secured to a sloping building surface, said deflector comprising a longitudinal flexible strip, wedge elements secured to said strip at spaced intervals, each of said wedge elements having a longitudinal axis adapted to be vertically disposed when said strip is attached to a sloping supporting surface, each of said wedge elements having a plane upper surface disposed normal to said longitudinal axis and a plane lower surface disposed at an angle to said longitudinal axis, the acute angle between the longitudinal axis of said wedge elements and said lower surface being complementary with the acute angle between the strip and the horizontal when said strip is attached to a sloping supporting surface, and upstanding posts secured to the upper surface of said wedge elements.

2. The deflector of claim 1, wherein said strip has a line of lateral perforations proximate an end portion to permit severance and removal of the end portion along the line of lateral perforations in order that the remaining portion of said strip may be arranged and disposed adjacent another flexible strip to stagger the arrangement of upstanding posts in both of said flexible strips, and thereby prevent, on both of said flexible strips, areas unprotected by upstanding posts.

3. The deflector of claim 1, wherein the terminal portions of said upstanding posts are hemispherical configurations.

4. The deflector of claim 1, wherein a suitable sticking substance is preapplied to the surfaces of the bottoms of said strip wedge elements and upstanding posts.

5. The deflector of claim 1, wherein said strip has post markers formed thereon for locating the position of said posts.

6. The deflector of claim 5, wherein said post markers and said wedge elements have degree markers formed therein to facilitate the uniform arrangement and disposition of said wedge elements.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,187,087 Leary Jan. 16, 1940 2,456,731 Peles Dec. 21, 1948 2,938,243 Peles May 31, 1960 

1. A BIRD DEFLECTOR ADAPTED TO BE SECURED TO A SLOPING BUILDING SURFACE, SAID DEFLECTOR COMPRISING A LONGITUDINAL FLEXIBLE STRIP, WEDGE ELEMENTS SECURED TO SAID STRIP AT SPACED INTERVALS, EACH OF SAID WEDGE ELEMENTS HAVING A LONGITUDINAL AXIS ADAPTED TO BE VERTICALLY DISPOSED WHEN SAID STRIP IS ATTACHED TO A SLOPING SUPPORTING SURFACE, EACH OF SAID WEDGE ELEMENTS HAVING A PLANE UPPER SURFACE DISPOSED NORMAL TO SAID LONGITUDINAL AXIS AND A PLANE LOWER SURFACE DISPOSED AT AN ANGLE TO SAID LONGITUDINAL AXIS, THE ACUTE ANGLE BETWEEN THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF SAID WEDGE ELEMENTS AND SAID LOWER SURFACE BEING COMPLEMENTARY WITH THE ACUTE ANGLE BETWEEN THE STRIP AND THE HORIZONTAL WHEN SAID STRIP IS ATTACHED TO A SLOPING SUPPORTING SURFACE, AND UPSTANDING POSTS SECURED TO THE UPPER SURFACE OF SAID WEDGE ELEMENTS. 